How to circular breathe on the didgeridoo

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Circular breathing is how you take a breath in through your nose without breaking the sound of your didgeridoo. It is a series of simple physical actions that anyone can learn, and the first four lessons are in our free course at Didgeridoo Dojo.

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Sanshi introduces circular breathing. This is the introduction video from the Didgeridoo Dojo lesson series.

What is circular breathing?

Circular breathing means breathing in through your nose while the didgeridoo keeps sounding, so the drone carries on without gaps.

It is not breathing in and out at the same time, and it is not a quick gasp before the sound stops. You do not have to rush. You can be relaxed while you do it.

While you breathe in through your nose, you keep the sound going by squeezing out the air stored in your mouth with your cheeks. You are not blowing that air from your lungs.

Circular breathing (or cycle breathing) is not about filling your lungs up when they are empty, it is about taking small, regular breaths to keep them topped up.

Do you need circular breathing to play the didgeridoo?

No. On one breath you can play many sounds on the didgeridoo.

Some people think it is a mystical technique that you can be blessed with, others think that it is something that naturally comes after you have been playing for a long time. Neither of these are true.

If you have not made your first sound yet, start with how to play the didgeridoo.

How to circular breathe: the basic steps

These are the steps Sanshi teaches in the Didgeridoo Dojo lessons. The first three are breathing exercises, so put the didgeridoo down and forget about how they relate to playing.

1. Breathe and pop. Hold a mouthful of air with your cheeks puffed out while you breathe in and out through your nose. Then open your lips slightly and let the air fall out of your mouth while you breathe in.
2. Breathe and squeeze. Squeeze the mouthful of air out with your cheeks to make a spitting sound that lasts around 2 to 3 seconds, at the same time as you take a breath in through your nose. It will sound terrible, and it is meant to.
3. Shorten your breath. Breathe in using your diaphragm, without moving your chest and shoulders, so the breath in is nice and short. Combine it with the squeeze.
4. Pick up your didgeridoo. Do the squeeze with your lips on the mouthpiece. Loosen your lips more and more until the squeeze comes out as a drone.
5. Connect the breath. Go from the drone to the squeeze, then from the squeeze back to the drone, with no gap in the sound. Do not worry about the quality of the sound yet. Put all your focus into getting a continuous noise.
6. Fine tune it. Keep a comfortable lungful of air and avoid getting too empty or too full.

Practise each step until it is easy, then move on to the next. This is the fastest way to learn the circular breathing technique.

A drill to try with a glass of water

Fill your mouth with water and practise spitting it in a long thin stream at a target about 1 metre away. As you spit out the stream of water, take a long gentle breath in through your nose. Then do the same with a mouthful of air.

A longer written walk-through of this drill is in our free didgeridoo playing instructions.

How long does it take to learn circular breathing?

It varies from person to person. It might take an hour, a day or even a month.

Sanshi has seen some people get it in an hour or a couple of days. Normally it takes a few weeks, and it took him a couple of months. Your muscles and your brain have to get used to an action they have never done before, a bit like the first time you picked up chopsticks.

Thank you very much for these lessons: I've learned in a week how to circular breathe starting at level zero!!

Aurelia, Didgeridoo Dojo member

Circular breathing tips

• Do not rush this process, this may take some practice.
• As you practise, the gaps between the drone and the spit will disappear.
• When you first master this technique, you may only get 2 or 3 breaths before your lungs are empty or too full. Once you have the technique, you can balance how much you inhale.
• It is normal for the drone to change sound as you take a breath.
• If you are feeling like you need to take a breath, you have left it too late. You need to circular breathe to keep your lungs full, not to fill them back up when you are empty.
• Remember to breathe from your diaphragm and not from your chest.
• When you first get the breathing you will probably get so excited that you will forget it. Don't panic, it will be back.

Learn circular breathing with Sanshi at Didgeridoo Dojo

The Didgeridoo Dojo circular breathing series is 8 video lessons with Sanshi. Each lesson has its own goals and training tips.

The circular breathing lessons are also included in every paid Didgeridoo Dojo plan.

Which didgeridoo is easiest to learn on?

The best keys to learn on are C to E. The biggest, lowest didges take a lot of air, and a middle key helps you improve faster.

Plastic didgeridoos have great back pressure and make circular breathing easy. See our alternative material didgeridoos, or read the Didgeridoo Buyers Guide before you choose.

Need a hand?

Stuck on a step, or not sure which didgeridoo to learn on? Contact us and we will help.

You can also buy the full lesson set here in our store: Didgeridoo Circular Breathing Lessons.